Incorruptible Hearts
by ThornManiaLilyCharliZorianna
Summary: The girl seemed infallible to Batman. Incorruptible. Immune to fear. But then Joker took her, along with her best friend. Now it's a race against the clock. Will Batman save them or will their sanity be lost forever? T for graphic scenes and language. R
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Joanna Keera Ettenalia was not a normal person. For one, she had short, spiky mass of hair, that she colored at anytime she wanted. Two, she dressed however she felt, whether it be a tank-top in December or a coat in July. And three, she was almost never afraid. Living with a disappearing father, and having a long vanished mother can do a lot to a girl, but instead of losing it, she toughened herself up. She taught herself, trained herself, took care of herself. She was ready for everything.

Or so she thought….

* * *

Joker raced through the streets of Gotham, Batman close on his tail. Laughing, he vanished around a corner. Batman went right past his hidden car. Joker cackled to himself, staring up at the house that he was hiding behind. A TV was on upstairs, and downstairs. Music blared, and was muffled slightly by the windows. He circled the house, examining it. One room with its windows open was filled with books. Another, a load of physical training equipment.

"Looks like the perfect place to spend the night!"

He looked up, searching for an open window to sneak in. Instead, his gaze eyes met with the lime-green eyes of a girl who was staring straight at him. It was a normal thing to do, other than the girl looked utterly bored to see him, instead of screaming in terror. He saw the girl vanish from the window. The music became quieter, and the girl appeared in the gym room of the house. Joker knocked on the glass, grinning. The girl pointedly ignored him. He knocked harder. She again ignored him, continuing her pull-ups. Finally, he took his gun and shot the glass, stepping through the shards. The girl once again ignored him, acting like he wasn't even there. Joker frowned, and sprang forward, pinning the girl to the wall.

She simply gazed at him, her expression neutral, "I would let me go if I were you."

"Why? Am I scaring you? It's not nice to ignore your guests, girlie."

"You are not my guest though. And the previous comment was because, at the angle that you are holding me, I can do this." She kneed him in the groin. He dropped her, and she walked calmly out of the room, leaving him to his own devices.

Joker growled as he recovered, and stalked out of the room, searching for the retched girl. He found her in a minute, standing in the kitchen, calmly watching her food spin in the microwave. He reached for the girl, but she moved forward, just out of his grasping reach. The microwave chimed, and she opened it, pulling out the hot plate with her bare hand and setting on the counter. She continued to move as he lunged at her, turning to a drawer, and removing a fork. She picked up the food, and spun, leaning on the counter, and staring at the lunatic, who was fuming by this time.

She was the first to speak, swallowing her food, "Aren't you going to like, charge at me like an idiot again?"

He growled and charged. She stepped to the side, letting him ram into the counter. She laughed mirthlessly, and set the empty plate in the sink, once again leaving the room.

The TV in the next room clicked off, and he followed her, no longer smiling. When he again found her, she was half-asleep on the couch, reading a book. He took his knife out and pulled her to her feet, careful to keep a safe distance from her leg.

"It's not very nice to run from people, sweetie." His voice was low and menacing.

"As I saw it, I was walking, not running, and it's my house."

He slammed her head into the wall, "Don't be rude to your elders."

The girl laughed again, "Elders implies someone I respect. You, I do not."

He held the knife close to her neck, and she stared at him, a slight grin on her face, "Now you wouldn't do that would you?"

"And why shouldn't I?" He grinned, pushing the knife into her neck. She grunted slightly as the blood oozed from the wound.

"Because, one, I called the police almost ten minutes ago, and you cared to much about little old me to think about that," She smirked at his realization, "And two, that gives _him _all reason to attack you. I'd no longer be a possible hostage." The girl gestured with her hand, pointing behind her attacker.

"What?" Joker spun, staring at the Batman.

"Give it up Joker, let the girl go."

"No way Batsy. This girl is too snotty, she needs to be taught a lesson, and she's my ticket out of here."

"I have to keep reminding you of the police that are gonna be here soon." She quipped sarcastically.

Joker grabbed her and held her in front of him, holding the knife closer to her neck, "Move closer, Bats, and I'll kill her, right in front of you!"

The Dark Knight paused, looking for a way to get around this. It was the girl who again, made her way out. She snapped her head back, taking her away from the knife, and bashing Joker in the nose. He screamed in pain and rage, but released her. She plucked the knife from his hand as he tried to grab her again.

"I'll take that."

Batman charged at the Clown Prince, and they fought. Joker eventually came out on top, grabbing a second knife from his pocket, "Say goodbye Batsy."

A throat being cleared made him turn his head, "Excuse me? But I think you deserve this." It was the girl, holding her book. She swung it at his head, knocking him sideways. He hit his head on the table, knocking him unconscious. Sirens filled the air.

"Late," She muttered, heading to the door, "As always."

* * *

The police pulled the handcuffed Joker towards the cop car. He was streaming a string of curses at the smirking girl, who was sitting on the trunk. They shoved the man in the car. She turned her head toward him.

"Hi there. Gonna miss me?" She laughed. A few cops nearby stared at her in wonder. No one had ever acted so unafraid of the man, other than the Batman himself.

"I'm gonna get you kid. When I find you, you will wish that you had never been born."

She smiled at him, "I'm sure. When you get out, be sure to look me up. We'll get coffee. My name is Joanna Keera Ettenalia. People call me Jo. But then again, you aren't people. I'm not even sure if you're human."

A lot of people stared at her now, she had just insulted the Joker, AND told him her name. The nearby reporters went nuts. Cameras flashed throughout the area.

"Well, got to go. See ya." She hopped off the car trunk, leaving Joker seething with rage. Batman stood in the shadows, slightly smiling to himself before vanishing into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Little slower than last chapter, but it puts a lot together, and you meet another important character! Enjoy!_**

**Chapter 2**

Joanna 'Jo' Ettenalia had found herself a new name in her school. She was still the creepy gothic girl in the school, but now she was also the Girl Who Survived The Joker. And all that did was make people stay clear of her even more.

"I don't get it Jo! I mean you escape that crazy lunatic, and people just stare at you like you're an even bigger freak!" It was Jonah, her psychotic, ADHD best friend.

"Oh, you're nice. If you haven't noticed, they're avoiding you too." She gestured to the people around them.

"Well, I'm used to it."

"That's because you're the creepy Goth boy." It was true. He was tall, gangly, and dead pale. His black hair hung loosely around his face, and his eyes were as black as night.

He fiddled with the skull on the chain around his neck, "You're the creepy Goth girl!"

"That's what they call me, and I'm not even Goth! So what if I like black." She ran a hand through her now blue hair.

"It's because you hang out with me."

"Exactly." She slammed her locker shut. "And I'm used to it too. Let's go over to my house. I think there's his blood on the book I smacked him with."

"No way! Seriously? You might have Joker blood?"

"Maybe. It's either there or on the table he slammed into."

"Sweet! Let's ask Mrs. Flemings for a Petri disk and check!" He shot towards the science lab.

Jo had to laugh. He may dress Goth, but his attitude was far from it. She called after him, "Did you even _take_ your pills this morning?"

"They taste bad!" He yelled back, "Why does it matter? Let's go! C'mon! Hurry!"

"Because you're acting like a Gothic monkey on drugs!"

"So?"

She laughed again and followed him.

* * *

Joker sat in his tiny cell, mumbling to himself. He stared at the newspaper he had taken from the guards. It talked about his capture at the hands of a thirteen year-old girl, and Batman. He had become the laughing stock of the Asylum. He liked people to laugh, but not like that. He would not stand for it. He would find the brat again, and he would kill her. No, better. He would turn her into what Batman feared most. An apprentice. He grinned maniacally, and his laughter rang through Arkham. He flipped to the next page.

"Hello… What's this?"

It was a picture of the girl. She was standing next to a tall boy, almost a head taller than the brat, who looked like he belonged in a grave, and yet, far from it at the same time. They were both laughing, tears of joy pricking the edges of their eyes. Both were drenched, their clothes sticking to their skin. The caption read:

**Joanna Ettenalia, and her friend, Jonah Quinn at a surprise party at a water park after being pushed into a pool.**

"First step towards insanity, watching a loved one be tortured. Not dead, not yet. He may make a good apprentice in his own good time." A grin split across the Clown Prince of Crime's face. He stared at the two young teens, their arms slung around each other's shoulders, then he looked at the girl's name again.

"Joanna Ettenalia… What did she say her middle name was? Oh yes, Keera." Joker believed in anyone having a _real_ name hidden within their name that they were given, "Jo Keera Ettenalia. Jokerette! That's it! It's so simple! Now his….." He glanced at the boy's name. "I wonder what his middle name is…." His cackle echoed the halls, "This is going to be fun!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chappie 3 is up! Thanks for the reviews folks! This chapter is a fairly slow, and a tad improbable, but heck, this is Gotham City! So it is remotely probable. Read on!**

**Chapter 3**

Jo pushed open her door and released herself of her backpack near it. Jonah followed suit.

"Your dad home?"

"When is he _ever_ home? Last I heard, Kyle was traipsing off somewhere in Italy."

"Again?"

"Yeah. He _really _likes it there. Ever since Mom, and your dad died, he's _always_ gone."

"Right. So, where?"

"The table by the couch, and my Oath book."

"Your _what?"_

"Oath book. You know, Frank Peretti, _The Oath_?"

"Oh, right."

"Go check it out. I'm gonna make some spaghetti. Want some?"

"Sure! I'm starved!" He walked over to the table and book. "This is so cool!"

After both had eaten, and Jonah had gotten his scrapings of Joker blood, the two teens hung out in the living room/dining room, Jonah sitting in the middle of the table, and Jo walking on her hands across the room.

"You have to teach me how to do that some time."

"I've _tried!_ You're impossible to work with."

There was a pause as the two laughed themselves silly.

"You know what I never understood?" Jo said, flipping herself onto the back of a chair, holding herself up on it with one hand.

"Whazzat?"

"That _you're _a boy and I'm a girl, and your mom doesn't mind you coming over and hanging out here, even sleeping over, when my dad's not home."

"I think it's 'cause my mom gets everything, and she's knows that the worst that ever happens is you and me watching horror flicks until three in the morning, and then reenacting them the rest of the night."

"Probably."

"And I think she's just glad that I'm out of the house. _And _if _I'm _gone she can drown herself in Tequila and the usual."

"I really needed to know that, thanks." There was a secondary pause.

He grinned, releasing the tension, "Anytime. Speaking of horror flicks, what do you have?"

"Some stuff, but we've seen all of it. How about we ride down to a movie store and pick some random ones off the shelf. I've got cash."

"Course you do. Your dad leaves you with like fifty jillion bucks every time he leaves. Let's go!"

They ran out to the garage and grabbed the motorcycles that Jo had bought and they spent their spare time working on. After a quick call to Jonah's mom, who sounded insanely drunk, they were gone.

As they walked through the store, they began their usual decision making process.

"Different language….Cheesy…..Seen it….."

"Hey, how about this?" Jonah said, "It's the brand new _Halloween_ movie."

"Sounds good. And…How about….Oooooooo…New_ Saw_ movie! Getting it!"

"Now something old…_The Shining_?"

"Seen it."

"It's still a good movie!"

"Fine, but only if I can get _Se7en_ and _The Exorcist_."

"Deal!" He grabbed the three movies off the shelf.

They quickly paid and left. As they drove back, Jonah said something that had been a fighting point for a while, "You should grow your hair out."

"We've been over this. I like my hair like this."

"But _everyone_ has their hair like that. Grow it like crazy long, and dye it tie-die!"

This did make Jo laugh a bit. Even though she liked her hair short, the only reason Jonah bugged her about it was because she had complained she didn't have enough to dye. He truly was a good friend.

"I'll grow mine out if you cut yours."

"No way!"

"No deal then."

"How about if I come to school in gray next week?"

"Tempting, but not good enough."

He groaned, "Am I going to have to say it?"

"Yes!"

"White."

"Deal!"

Jonah groaned, but they had reached the house, and now Jo was halfway through the door, and hadn't heard it. He quickly followed.

_A Few Hours Later…_

"That was an awesome movie!"

"Yeah!"

"What's the time?"

"Uhhh….." Jo checked her watch, "Two AM."

"Then I think we should start the next movie. _The Shining_ sound good?"

"Works for me. Gonna get more popcorn." She somersaulted out of the room, leaving a laughing Jonah behind.

* * *

Bruce Wayne sat in the Batcave, staring at a large monitor.

"Some tea sir?"

"No thanks Alfred. I need to concentrate."

"What are you doing exactly sir?"

"Joker was pretty mad when he was taken away. I wouldn't put it behind him to escape and go after Ms. Ettenalia and anyone near her." He pulled up the picture of Jo and Jonah, "Her father used to work for me. Her mother died in a car crash with the friend's father. Her father quit shortly after. I met him once. He was a good man, a little rough though. I checked it up, her father goes away on trips every few weeks, and is gone for months at a time. He takes out almost five thousand dollars every time, but usually only leaves with around four. My guess is that he leaves her with the last bit for food and such."

"Where does he get so much money sir?" Alfred stood near Bruce, staring at the screen.

"I think it's stocks and bonds. He has a lot of stock in Wayne Enterprises, but I don't know what else. I can't even find what else."

"That's rather rare Master Bruce."

"I know Alfred, and it bothers me. The other thing that bothers me is that his daughter puts a lot of money into two motorcycles that she seems to have bought a while back, and some on exercise and gymnastic equipment. I don't see her buying very much food, but she seems to have stayed well-fed, as she seems to be well-fit enough to be in many sports. That's another thing Alfred. She doesn't go join sports, or have trainers, yet her sports skill seem to be impeccable. Especially gymnastics and boxing."

"Perhaps she visits her friend's for food sir?"

"I don't think so. I've been watching, and she seems to avidly avoid her friend's house."

"Interesting sir. Have you kept an eye on the young lady?"

"On her and her friend Alfred. I worried something is going to happen."

"Just be careful sir."

"I will Alfred, trust me."

"I shall sir. One last thing however."

"Yes Alfred?"

"If the young lady rides the motorcycles, as you seem to be implying, how does she have a license? She seems quite young."

"She thirteen Alfred, but this is Gotham City. No one cares about how old you are here."

"Well said sir." And Alfred vanished up the steps.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Okay Folks! Here's our new chapter! It's kind of weird and mixed up, but hey, I **_**am**_** the one writing it! Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 4**

"Four months have passed since Joker has been captured, but still Gotham wonders, will he stay locked away forever, or will he escape again? This time to get back at the people who locked him up this time. This is GCPN, and I'm William Sanders, wishing you all a good night, and a very happy Halloween."

Joker clicked off the TV in the rec room and grinned wider. This was wonderful. It was Halloween, the time of laughter, sweets, and masks. He was ready to break out, and he knew exactly how to do it.

Joker stood, as though to leave the rec room, but he collapsed. The guards walked cautiously over to him, picking him up.

"He's fainted. Let's take him to the infirmary." Joker grinned inwardly at the man's idiocy.

The three large men practically dragged his to the Arkham hospital, leaving him on a random empty bed. They left, and Joker opened an eye, looking around the room. No one. He opened his hand, a ring of keys that he had stolen from one of the guards was held tightly in it.

Joker laughed maniacally as he stalked away from Arkham, its sirens blaring. One thing stood stark upon his insane mind. Find the kid, hopefully find the friend, and drive her or both of them insane. And luckily for him, he knew just where to go.

* * *

Jo was almost asleep. Which would've been bad because at this moment, she was sitting in Chemistry, and had a stockpile of chemicals waiting to be knocked over. Jonah nudged her hard, and she sat up quickly.

"Ack!"

"Do you have a question, Ms. Ettenalia?" Her Chemistry teacher, Mr. Burrows asked flatly.

"No sir, not at all."

"Then try to keep up."

"Yes sir."

She saluted the teacher, and groaned only loud enough for Jonah to hear her. He grinned madly at the sound, and she saw the wheels turning in his brain. He was thinking of a way to make the class fun, but as the plan clicked into place, the bell rang, ruining the moment. Now they had lunch, and that was quite possibly, the best thing to have after Chem.

"What were you going to do?" Jo said as she walked out of the room, Jonah at her side.

"I was thinking of accidently knocking a chemical into the trash bin, along with a Bunsen burner. It's been known to happen, me being all tall and stuff." He grinned crookedly.

"You still would've gotten expelled."

"They couldn't have proved it was me. I'd get off clean."

"Sometimes I wonder if there is an evil genius lurking in your brain."

"We'll just have to wait and see. For now, I'm going to go search for lurking evil geniuses in the pizza they're serving today."

"Pizza? I'll sign on to that!"

They took off toward the lunchroom, ignoring the yells from the teachers. Soon, they were sitting alone at a table in the far corner of the cafeteria, munching on hot pizza.

Jonah spoke up first, "Thanks with the ting with my mom."

The pause was short, "No problem... So after lunch, we have gym. I heard it's free time. We can goof off on the equipment."

"You mean the jungle gym? I wonder why they still have that here. I mean, it's middle school."

"Cuz if you took the time to look at it closely, you would notice the boards saying "10-step fitness equipment."

Jonah grinned, cross-eyed at his friend, "Really now?"

She smacked him hard on the arm, "You know I don't like that!"

"Sorry, Miss Prissy. I didn't realize that this was the White House."

Jo fiddled with her now chin-length, brown hair. It never had taken long to grow, "Shut up."

"And so I shall."

Jo stared out the window, absent-mindedly pulling a string of cheese off her pizza, "How much you want to be that I can stand on the high bar?"

"The support bar for the bars? The one that's a freaking pole? Jo, that thing is ten feet in the air."

"Exactly."

"I'll bet five bucks that you can't even get to the top."

"Deal."

The bell rang and they hurried outside.

* * *

Jo stood on top of the rounded pole keeping perfect balance. Her and Jonah stood outside, everyone else either off in the field playing football, or chatting about the latest fashion. Jonah now owed her five dollars.

"C'mon Jo! You proved your point! Get down!"

"You should see it up here! It's amazing!" She instinctively leaned forward, and fell.

She landed directly on Jonah.

"Ouch! Get off of me!"

Jo stood up, "You make a good pillow."

"Thanks I think. Ouch!" He held his arm.

"You hurt that?"

"I don't know."

"Here," She pulled him up, "Let's have the nurse check it out."

"Okay."

They walked away from the gym set, "You still owe me five bucks."

Jonah's laugh echoed across the field to the car across the street. In it, the Joker grinned.


	5. Chapter 5

The nurse sighed as the two entered.

"Back again you two?"

"Hi Ms. Walker." They said simultaneously.

"What happened this time?"

"I may have possibly landed on Jonah during a bet." Jo said, sitting the teen on one of the beds.

"She landed on my arm."

"Let me see it."

He showed her the wounded arm.

"You dislocated your shoulder. Nothing serious. Hold still." She took hold of his arm, and snapped it back into place. Jonah yelped.

"There. It's not bad enough to need a sling. Grab a treat and get to class. Not you Jo!" She said to the girl who had her hand halfway into the treat jar. Jo looked at her, then Jonah, then back at the treats.

"Yoink!" She grabbed a sucker, and fled, her friend chasing close behind, holding his treat close.

The nurse sighed again, but she was smiling.

Out by the classrooms, nearly three hallways later, the two had skidded to a stop.

"Wait, our next class is study hall."

"Yeah, so?"

A mischievous glint rose in Jo's eyes, "So…Let's cut! Nothing interesting ever happens during study hall."

"Won't we get in trouble?"

She looked at him incredulously.

Jonah grinned, "Kidding! Let's go out back."

They headed to the back of the school.

"Meet you out there, Jo! I gotta pee!"

"Too. Much. Information!" She laughed at him, and continued out. Outside the school, she sat on the curb waiting.

"They really need to put an alarm on that door." She said to herself, then laughed at how stupid she sounded, speaking to herself.

A shadow fell over her. A very _large _shadow.

"That doesn't look like Jonah's shadow," She turned. A large goon stood behind her. Keeping the cocky attitude, she spoke again, "Are you the school's new police guard? You don't look like you have the brains."

He grabbed her arm, and hauled her to her feet.

"Hey, if this is about my tickets, I swear to God I'll pay them off by this afternoon."

"We don't want you for your unpaid tickets, girl." Said a voice behind her.

Behind the auburn hair, Jo paled. This wasn't her home, and as such, she didn't have the confidence one has in their own house, but she still had some that she pulled from her cockiness.

She spun, drawing her careless grin to her face, "Well, if it isn't our favorite convict! Aren't you supposed to be in Arkham? Love the muscle you got here, by the way. What've you been feeding him? Buildings?" Her voice was slightly sped up, spouting out words to keep away the fear.

Suddenly Joker was upon her, and slapped her hard. Her head drooped, her vision momentarily blurred. Joker took her from the goon. Still stunned, she didn't have the capacity to fight back.

"You're coming with us!"

"Oh, no she's not!"

Joker turned just in time to see Jonah come hurtling at him, knocking him to the ground. He grabbed Jo, shook her back into sense, and they ran, followed closely by Joker's muscle.

"Nice tackle!" She said, still a little dizzy.

"And they won't let me be in football!"

"Because you're too damned skinny!"

They laughed, but it was kind of hollow. Jonah could see the rare fear in his friend's eyes. She had been caught off guard, unready for the sudden attack. It rarely happened, and when it did, it had an eerie quality. He shook it off, and they continued their run for the Gotham Police Department, nearly four blocks away.

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